Origin: Germany  
Genres: Progressive Metal
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Last update/review: May 3, 2020

Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta emerged on the metal scene as a mystery band, with the story being that the members were under contract to other bands and thus could not reveal their true identities. Early lineups featured Rage mainman Peavey Wagner (and other Rage members as well), but by the time of the first album, a firm lineup was established, consisting of the following members (the real names were not known for a number of years): Keil (Wolfgang Borgmann), Rolf Stein (Frank Fricke, then in Living Death), Vincent St. John (Reiner Kelch, also of Living Death), Bjorn Eklund (Ralf Hubert), and Gordon Perkins (Jörg Michael, then in Rage). The band continued to use pseudonyms for several years (Uwe Baltrusch was listed as Mark Kaye, and Uli Kusch as Patrick Duval). Eventually the real names were revealed, and by 1990 (when Dances Of Death was released) all but Jörg Michael were using their true names.

The music of Mekong Delta is best described as Germanic thrash, with strong progressive and classical tendencies. When they're at their best they are almost untouchable, though at other times the arrangements are a bit too chaotic. Several of the albums are of the hit-and-miss affair, with The Music Of Erich Zann arguably one of their better and most consistent releases. Over the course of their career the band has covered several classical pieces (mostly by Mussorsky), and these have been re-released as the Classics compilation. The last album is all-instrumental and is entirely based on classical pieces, with vocalist Doug Lee not appearing even though he was still considered a member of the band at the time.

With no recordings in eight years and little word from the band, rumors began to circulate that leader Ralf Hubert had left the country and/or had even died. In fact Hubert is alive and well, and with a new lineup in place, Mekong Delta released their first album in a decade, Lurking Fear, in 2007. Hubert and another new lineup are as of this writing (August 2009) working on "Wanderer On The Edge Of Time".

Current Members

Martin LeMar

vocals

Peter Lake (Peter Sjöberg)

guitars (ex-Mutant, ex-Theory In Practice)

Ralph Hubert

bass

Alex Landenburg

drums (At Vance, CyHra, Kamelot, ex-Luca Turilli's Rhapsody)

Former Members/Guests

Wolfgang Borgmann

vocals

Doug Lee

vocals (Siren)

Leszek Szpigiel

vocals (ex-Scanner, ex-Wolf Spider)

Frank Fricke

guitars (ex-Living Death)

Uwe Baltrusch

guitars (ex-House Of Spirits)

Reiner Kelch

guitars (ex-Living Death)

Georg Syrmbos

guitars

Benedikt Zimniak

guitars

Erik Adam H. (Erik Grösch)

guitars

Jörg Michael

drums (ex-Grave Digger, ex-Headhunter, ex-House Of Spirits, ex-Axel Rudi Pell, ex-Rage, ex-Running Wild, ex-Saxon, ex-Schwarzarbeit, ex-Stratovarius, ex-Unleashed Power)

Uli Kusch

drums (ex-Beautiful Sin, ex-Gamma Ray, ex-Helloween, ex-Holy Moses, ex-Masterplan, ex-Ride The Sky, guest for Sinner, ex-Symfonia)

Peter Haas

drums (ex-Krokus, ex-Poltergeist)



Discography



Mekong Delta  
1987 Aaarrg
  1. Without Honour
  2. The Cure
  3. The Hut Of Baba Yaga
  4. Heroes Grief
  5. Kill The Enemy
  6. Nightmare Patrol
  7. Shivas Return
  8. Black Sabbath
  9. Black Home
  • Wolfgang Borgmann
  • Frank Fricke
  • Reiner Kelch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael




The Music Of Erich Zann  
1988 Aaarrg
  1. Age Of Agony
  2. True Lies
  3. Confession Of Madness
  4. Hatred
  5. Interludium (Begging For Mercy)
  6. Prophecy
  7. Memories Of Tomorrow
  8. King Will Come
  9. The Final Dellige
  10. Epilogue
  11. The Gnom
  • Wolfgang Borgmann
  • Frank Fricke
  • Reiner Kelch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael




The Gnome  EP
1988 Aaarrg
  1. The Gnome
  2. The Hut Of Baba Yaga
  3. Without Honour
  4. The Cure
  • Wolfgang Borgmann
  • Frank Fricke
  • Reiner Kelch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael
  • Uli Kusch



Toccata  EP
1989 Aaarrg
  1. Toccata
  2. Black Betty
  3. Interludium (Part II)
  • Wolfgang Borgmann
  • Frank Fricke
  • Reiner Kelch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael



The Principle Of Doubt  
1989 Aaarrg
  1. A Question Of Trust
  2. The Principle Of Doubt
  3. Once I Believed
  4. Ever Since Time Began
  5. Curse Of Reality
  6. Twilight Zone
  7. Shages Of Doom
  8. The Jester
  9. El Colibri
  10. No Friend Of Mine
  • Wolfgang Borgmann
  • Frank Fricke
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael



Dances Of Death  
1990 Aaarrg
  1. Dances Of Death
  2. Transgressor
  3. True Believers
  4. Night On A Bare Mountain
  5. The Gnom (bonus track)
  • Doug Lee
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael




Live At An Exhibition  LIVE
1991 RTD
  1. The Cure
  2. Transgression
  3. True Believers
  4. Night On A Bare Mountain
  5. Memories Of Tomorrow
  6. The Hut Of Baba Yaga
  7. Heroes Grief
  8. True Lies
  9. Toccata
  • Doug Lee
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Georg Syrmbos
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Jörg Michael



Kaleidoscope  
1992 Intercord
  1. Innocent ?
  2. Sphere Eclipse
  3. Dance On A Volcan
  4. Dreaming
  5. Heatbeat
  6. Shadow Walker
  7. Sabre Dance
  8. Misunderstanding
  9. About Science
  • Doug Lee
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Peter Haas



Classics  COMPILATION
1993 Aaarrg
  1. Interludium / Begging For Mercy (Part I)
  2. Toccata
  3. Twilight Zone
  4. The Gnome
  5. The Hut Of Baba Yaga
  6. Night On A Bare Mountain
  7. Interludium (Part II)
  8. El Colibri



Visions Fugitive  
1994 Intercord
  1. Them
  2. Imagination
  3. Suite For Group And Orchestra
  4. The Healer
  5. Days Of Sorrow
  • Doug Lee
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Peter Haas




Pictures At An Exhibition  
1997 IRS
  1. Promenade
  2. Gnomus
  3. Interludium
  4. Il Vecchio Castello
  5. Interludium
  6. Tuileries (Dispute D'Enfants Apres Jeux)
  7. Bydtlo
  8. Interludium
  9. Ballet Of The Unhatched Chicks
  10. 'Samuel' Goldenberg And 'Schmuyle'
  11. Promenade
  12. Limoges: Le marché (La Grande Nouvelle)
  13. Catacombae (Sepulcrum Romanum)
  14. Lingua Mortis
  15. The Hut On Chicken's Legs
  16. The Heroic Gate (in The Old Capital Of Kiev)
  • Uwe Baltrusch
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Peter Haas



The Principle Of Doubt (Ambitions)  COMPILATION
2005
  1. Sphere Eclipse
  2. Transgressor
  3. True Lies
  4. Confession of Madness
  5. Interludium
  6. Dance on a Volcano
  7. Toccata
  8. I, King, Will Come
  9. Dreaming
  10. The Cure
  11. Night on a Bare Mountain
  12. Innocent?
  13. Without Honour
  14. Sabre Dance
  15. Curse of Reality
  16. Twilight Zone
  17. Hero's Grief
  18. Memories of Tomorrow
  19. The Healer
  20. The Principle of Doubt
  21. Heartbeat
  22. The Hut of Baba Yaga



Live In Frankfurt 1991  VIDEO
2007 Zardoz



Lurking Fear  
2007 AFM
  1. Society In Dissolution
  2. Purification
  3. Immortal Hate (Accepting Prayers Of Supremacy)
  4. Allegro Furioso
  5. Rules Of Corruption
  6. Ratters (Among The Dead)
  7. Moderato
  8. Defenders Of The Faith
  9. Symphony Of Agony
  10. Allegro
  • Leszek Szpigiel
  • Peter Lake
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Uli Kusch



Wanderer On The Edge Of Time  
2010 Zardoz
  1. Intro - Concert Guitar
  2. Ouverture
  3. "A certain fool" (Le Fou) // Movement 1
  4. Interlude 1 - Group
  5. "The 5th element" (Le Bateleur) // Movement 2
  6. Interlude 2 - Group
  7. "The Apocalypt - World in shards" (La Maison Dieu // Movement 3
  8. Interlude 3 - Concert Guitar
  9. "King with broken crown" (Le Diable) // Movement 4
  10. Intermezzo () // Movement 5
  11. Interlude 4 - Group
  12. "Affection" (L'Amoureux) // Movement 6
  13. Interlude 5 - Group
  14. "Mistaken truth" (Le Hérétique) // Movement 7
  15. Finale
  • Martin LeMar
  • Benedikt Zimniak
  • Erik Adam H.
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Alex Landenburg
2010 Readers' Album #98




Intersections  
2012 Steamhammer/SPV
  1. Prophecy
  2. The Cure
  3. Memories Of Tomorrow
  4. Heroes Grief
  5. Shades Of Doom
  6. The Healer
  7. Transgressor
  8. Sphere Eclipse
  9. Heartbeat
  10. Innocent
  • Martin LeMar
  • Benedikt Zimniak
  • Erik Adam H.
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Alex Landenburg
2012 Readers' Album #99




In A Mirror Darkly  
2014
  1. Introduction
  2. Ouverture
  3. The Armageddon Machine
  4. The Sliver in Gods Eye
  5. Janus
  6. Inside the Outside of the Inside
  7. Hindsight Bias
  8. Mutant Messiah
  • Martin LeMar
  • Erik Adam H.
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Alex Landenburg
2014 Readers' Album #50




Tales Of A Future Past  
2020 Butler
  1. Landscape 1 - Into the Void
  2. Mental Entropy
  3. A Colony of Liar Men
  4. Landscape 2 - Waste Land
  5. Mindeater
  6. The Hollow Men
  7. Landscape 3 - Inharent
  8. When All Hope is Gone
  9. A Farewell to Eternity
  10. Landscape 4 - Pleasant Ground
  • Martin LeMar
  • Peter Lake
  • Ralph Hubert
  • Alex Landenburg




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